Electrical traction-way for canal towage.



PATENTBD MAR. 31, 1903.

s. W. 001 ELECTRICAL TRACTION WAY FOR CANAL TOWAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, 1902.

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No. 724.370. v PATE'NTED MAR. 31, 190s.-

' s.-W. WOOD. I ELECTRICAL TRACTION WAY FOR CANAL TOWAGE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY l2 1902.

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UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN W. WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRICAL TRACTION-WAY FOR CANAL TOVl/AG E.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 724,370, dated March 31,1903.

Application filed .l'uly12,1902.

Serial No. 115,285- (No model.

To all whom it may concern.- 7

Be it known that I, STEPHEN W. WOOD, a citizen of the United States,residing at New- York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricalTraction- Ways for Canal Towage, of which the follow ing is aspecification.

This invention relates to electrical tractionways especially designedfor canal towage, but capable of use for carrying parcels, &c.

The objectof the invention is to produce a traction-Way which willoccupy only a narrow space on the tow-path, so as not to interfere withtraction by animals, also to provide a plurality of superposed tracks oneach of which independent tractors may travel in either directionwithout interfering with each other, also to so construct the way andtractors that the way may be erected on either side of the canal or apart on one and a part on the other side of the canal and the tractorsconveniently operated on anysection and on either track.

The invention consists in certain constructions and combinations ofmechanical elements, as hereinafter described and claimed.

Figure l is a diagram or plan representing a portion of a canal withtow-path and traction-way sometimes on one bank and sometimes on theother bank. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of canal, showing towage-tracks onboth banks. Fig. 3 is a broken cross-section of the traction-way,showing tractors in elevation and generally indicating relation 'ofparts or elements. Fig. 4 is a broken section showing a modificationwherein a trolley at the side of the tractor-frame is used to makecontact with a trolley-wire correspondingly arranged. Fig. 5 is adiagrammatic detail of a switch.

It often occurs on a canal that a tow-path is on one bank for a distanceandthen on the, other bank, and it is seldom that both banks areavailable for towagepurposes for any? long distance. As a rule one bankonly is leveled and used for a lJOW-Ptfilh'ftlld the other bank may beirregular, obstructed by buildings, hills, ponds, or what not. Theanimals which tow the boats travel on-the tow-path and cross the canalwhen the path is on the other side, usually by bridge, but sometimes bya viaduct or ferry.

side of the canal to the other.

. My traction-way is designed to interfere very little or not at allwith the regular towage by animal power. The way is set back from thebank at the side of the tow-path and has tracks or rails for twotractors to pass, one above another.

e In Fig. 1, Aris supposed to represent a canal, and B to indicate abridge over the same. 0 0 denote sections of the tow-path alongside thecanal, and D D sections of my towage or traction way along the tow-path.The way will be provided with switches by which the tractors can passacross the bridges from one Such a switch, forexample, is illustrated inFig. 5, and the electrical conductors will be insulated and supplied inusual manner.

. Referring now to Fig. 3, the numeral 1 represents a post or supportforming one of a series of supports for the way D. Theposts are highenough to support two towage-rails, andas the'towage-way must pass underthe highway bridges along the tow-path the limit of height of thetowage-way is usually about nine feet. From each post 1 brackets 2 3project toward the tow-path and canal. These brackets may be of anysuitable form and should project so far thata rail attached to thebracket will be far enough from the post topermitfthe projection ofone-half the width of a motor or tractor toward the post without.

contact therewith. As illustrated, the brackets 2 3 are alike; but thisis not essential. To each series of brackets there is connected a railor track 4 or 5. This rail or track is intended to be a completetraction way and guide, for the tractors which run on the same.Preferably the rail is a flanged rail, and such is illustrated; but thisis not always essential, as other forms of rail may be used. The

flanged rail is a specificimprovement. The tractor or towing-motor runson either way Apr 5. This tractor has a frame 11, in which the tractiona wheel 12 is supported. Trac-z "tion-wheel 12 is shown as resting ontop of one of the rails 4 or 5, while frame llhas flanges extendingbehind the edges of said rail, so that the tractor-frame when applied toa rail cannot be removed therefrom save at a switch or opening. Thetraction-wheel 12 is driven by an electric engine or motor 13, whichengine is connected either directly or indirectly to the axle 14. Inother applii the engine and traction-wheel, and I do not,

I frame.

posts and the tractor-frame.

therefore, describe or claim such construction herein, although I desireit understood that I am not herein limited to any particularconstruction of engine or driving gear. Guide wheels 15 15, arranged onvertical axles or pintles, bear on the inner and outer faces of therail, and if the railbe flanged, as illustrated, these guide-wheelspreferablyrun 'just below the top flange of the rail.' Gripper-wheels 1616 run against the outer and inner faces of the rail, and thesegripperwheels may be provided with mechanism for pressing them to thetrack, as shown in my application,Serial No. 113,177, filed June 24,1902. Electrical energy to drive the engines is conveyed through trolley17 from trolleywire 18. I have shown a trolley-wire 18 as supportedbyseparate brackets over the centerof the tractor-frame, so that thetractors are reversible and may run in either direction on either track4 or 5, and with a towline connected at the side of the tractor towardthe water of the canal. The tractorframe is constructed with means, as20,'for attaching a tow-line at either face of the The traction-rail 4or 5 is an electrical conductor, so that the driving or the returncircuit may be through said rail or track, the trolley-wire completingthe circuit either way.

In Fig. 4 I show a modification wherein the trolley-wire 28 is suspendedbetween the The trolley 25 projects at the side of the tractor-frame 31in position to engage the trolley-wire.

The tractor is held to the rail 4 or 5 by the guide and gripper wheelsbearing on the rail, so that the side draft of the tow will not pull thetractor from its rail. The engines are reversible, as usual on trolleyways, and move'independently and at such speed as the necessities of thecase require. To prevent washing of the canal banks, this speed isusually less than six miles per hour.

When a boat or tow of boats meets another on a canal, the boat to whichthe lower tractor is connected takes that side of the canal farthestfrom the tow-path, stops, and lets the slack tow-line sink to the bottomof the canal,

. when the other tow passes over it precisely as when boats towed byanimals pass each other. Usually the tractors on the upper rail or way 5move in one direction, while those on the other rail 4 move in theopposite direction but the capability of reversal on either Way followsfrom the use of motors or engines similar to such as are in common usefor railway traction.

What I claim is- 1. A series of posts for a traction-way alon'g acanal-bank,two traction-railssupported thereon at different heights, andtractors supported and having guide-wheels on said ways, said I tractorsarranged so that each shall be supported and entirely guided by its ownsupporting-rail, and in position to pass the tractor on the other railwithout inteference.

2. A series of supports for a traction-way, a plurality of tracksarranged at difierent heights on said supports, an electricallydriventractor on each track supported and entirely guided thereby, andconstructed to pass similar tractors on other tracks withoutinterference, and a trolley-wire for completing the electric circuitwith all the tractors on each one of said tracks.

3. The combination with supports along a canal, of a double series ofbrackets extending from said supports, two rails supported on thebrackets at different elevations, electrically-operated tractors on saidrails, each tractor supported and guided on a single rail, electricalconductors to the tractors, and means for completing the electriccircuit through the tractors.

4. The combination with a series of supporting-posts, brackets extendingtherefrom, a plurality of traction-rails supported at different heightstherefrom, each rail having upper and lower flanges projecting above andbelow the faces of the brackets, and a plurality of motors on the rails,each motor having guide or grip wheels bearing on the outer and innerfaces of its rail within the flanges thereof.

5. The combination with a series of supports along one bank, of acontinuation of the series along the other bank, a plurality of trackson said series arranged at different heights, and tractors each having atractionwheel and guide-wheels to bear on a single rail of the ways, andconstructed to move on either rail and at either side of the canal, andhaving a towing device toward the canal in either position.

6. The combination with a series of posts having brackets at the sidesthereof, of a plurality of traction-rails attached to said brackets atdifferent heights, tractors constructed to run on and be guided byeither one of said rails, separate trolley connections by which theelectric circuit can be supplied to all the tractors on each rail, andelectric engines on each tractor.

7. A series of supporting-posts, two trac-

